Abbas vows to reopen peace talks
Palestinian presidential candidate Mahmoud Abbas reached out to Israel today, pledging that his first order of business after next week’s election is to seek a renewal of peace talks.
Abbas, the front-runner in Sunday’s election, has come under criticism in Israel for a series of incendiary speeches and campaign appearances with Palestinian gunmen.
But, in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, he struck a far more conciliatory tone.
He vowed to clean up the unwieldy Palestinian security forces, criticised militants’ rocket attacks on Israel and called for a resumption of peace talks.
“We will begin a dialogue with Israel to see if there is willingness to renew the process,” he said, when asked about his post-election agenda. “This will not come at the expense of solving domestic problems. Those things need to be done in parallel.”
Abbas’ mixed messages this week reflect the difficult balancing act he faces as he prepares to succeed the long-time Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, who died in November.
Abbas is eager to resume peace talks, which collapsed while Arafat was alive.
But on the campaign trail, he has had to overcome his image as a dull bureaucrat and build support among the many Palestinian constituencies, including the young members of the powerful militant groups.
Last week, a smiling Abbas was hoisted on the shoulders of a notorious West Bank gunman. After an Israeli strike killed seven people in the Gaza Strip this week, he described Israel as the “Zionist enemy” – his harshest language yet.
Later Thursday, Abbas was headed to Nablus, a chaotic West Bank city where gunmen frequently roam with impunity. Many of the gunmen are also members of the security forces and are affiliated with Abbas’ ruling Fatah movement.
In the interview, Abbas refused to discuss the “Zionist enemy” comments. But he told the newspaper that reforming the security services is a top priority. Israel has demanded that the security forces be cleaned up before peace talks can resume.
“We have a clear plan to improve the security situation. There is no doubt that the security organisations need to be put in order, and to establish a body that will supervise those organisations,” he said. “We know how to do that.”
Abbas said the Palestinians would be able to ensure quiet after Israel’s planned pullout from Gaza. He also said he is ready to co-ordinate the withdrawal with Israel, as long as it is a step in the larger “road map” peace plan.
“This plan presents all the demands – ours and Israel’s – to achieve peace. We intend to do our share in full, and we hope that the Israeli side, too, will meet our demands,” he said.
Abbas criticised Israeli military strikes against Palestinians and reiterated his pledge to pursue the policies of Arafat, whom Israel despised.
But he also said called Palestinian rocket attacks against Israeli targets a “mistake.” Such criticism has drawn the ire of Hamas, the top Palestinian opposition group.
“We’re used to words of that sort in the Palestinian arena,” he said. “I’m not going to get worked up over it. I fear only God.”
